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Owning a coastline stretching almost 7,500 kilometres, the Federative Republic of Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world and contains over 201 million people within its boundaries, split into 26 states and over 5,500 municipalities.

The country has the seventh largest economy in the world and shares borders with French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Columbia, Bolivia, Venezuela, Suriname, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay. As a result of its large size, it makes up over 47% of South America and shares borders with all South American countries except Chile and Ecuador.

Stone Age History

Due to the movement of various groups at the time, likely from Asia or Australia, it’s believed that humans have occupied the region since at least 11,000 BC. The oldest evidence of human life in the region is in the form of cave paintings dated to 11,000 BC as well as pottery which has been radiocarbon dated to around 6000 BC.

Bronze Age History

It’s believed that at this time the groups occupying the region divided into sub-groups.

Iron Age History

It’s believed that between this date and the 15th century, the sub-groups divided down further into over 2000 tribes.

1st Century – 15th Century History

Little is known about Brazil’s pre-colonial history. The Portuguese supposedly first set foot in the region either in 1498 by Portuguese Captain Duarte Pacheco Pereira or in January 1500 by Spanish Navigator Vincente Yanez Pinzon.

16th Century – 19th Century History

In April 1500, Brazil was first claimed by the Portuguese Fleet Commander Pedro Alvares Cabral in the name of Portugal and shortly after landing the Portuguese discovered stone-using natives in various warring tribes but all using the same Tupi-Guarani language. The country was given its name for the trees that once grew bountifully along the coastline, the Caesalpinia Echinata, which produces a red wood the traders called ‘Pau-Brasil’.

In 1529, in efforts to stop pirates from poaching the valuable Brazilwood the Portuguese Crown divided Brazil into strips of land and gave the land to nobles responsible for managing each part, However, the system failed horribly securing only four plots of land, the failed Captaincies, as they were called, reverted to the crown and eventually became province before states of Brazil.

In the 16th Century the Portuguese began to grow sugarcane on plantations and in order to keep the plantations managed they sent Bandeirantes into the jungle to find slaves. However, the indigenous peoples were deemed unfit for slavery and thus the country began importing slaves from Africa instead. However, due to the poor conditions causing a high mortality rate and the lack of females in the slave population causing an inability to replenish it, the project failed, the slave population shrank dramatically, and finally they merged with the general Brazilian population. At the same time, the Bandeirantes had accidentally spread diseases to the tribal nations which had no immunity to the European-borne diseases and thus vast quantities of the tribes were viciously wiped out.

Following this, many other European nations attempted to settle in the region, this included the French in 1555 in Rio de Janeiro and in 1612 in Sao Luis. However, the native allies of the Portuguese assisted them in driving out the French in the latter episode. Following this, in the 17th Century Dutch pirates began plundering the coastline and in 1630 they set up a base in Nordeste and controlled a long stretch of the coastline, however, they too were driven out in 1654 due to an extended period of siege warfare.

In the early 19th Century, the Portuguese court fled Napoleon’s invasion of Portugal and set up a permanent base, including moving the entire government body, in Brazil. The Portuguese king ruled from Brazil until 1821 when he attempted to move back to Portugal in 1821. His son, Pedro, stayed in power as the regent of Brazil but a year later, Pedro began the Independence War and declared Brazil a constitutional monarchy, assuming the head of state as Emperor Pedro I of Brazil.

However, it was less than ten years later that he abdicated the throne and left to return to Portugal, leaving his five-year-old son, Pedro II, as Emperor. During the time leading to his coming-of-age, a bout of rebellion swept across the region and it was only silenced when Emperor Pedro II came of age and began a parliamentary reign lasting until 1889, when he was forced out of power in a coup d’état by Republican Military General Deodoro da Fonseca.

20th Century History

Deodoro became the country’s first President and the country’s name was declared as the Republic of the United States of Brazil with elections every four years. Despite this apparent change of the country’s government, the illiterate and women were forbidden to vote and politicians used deals with landowners to control the votes and therefore stage a crypto-dictatorship.

Leading up until 1926, various rebellions, revolts and uprisings occurred, resulting in frequent bloodshed. Despite this though, the government had managed to develop Brazil’s various industries and agriculture dramatically.

In 1930, Getulio Vargas took control of the country with a military regime which rapidly degenerated into a dictatorship. Vargas successfully prevented two coup d’états by the Communists in 1935 and by Fascists in 1938.

However, in 1945 democracy prevailed and an elected government began to run the country. In the 1940’s, Brazil joined the side of the allied forces in World War II, fighting in the Battle of the Atlantic and in the Italian Campaign.

Vargas was re-elected for office in the 1950’s temporarily. In 1956, Juscelino Kubitschek was made President and through his policies Brazil flourished brilliantly. Due to the rapidly improving economy at the time, Kubitschek is considered the father of modern Brazil and one of the few politicians with a good reputation and practices.

In 1964, the military, unsatisfied with the slow process of the democratic system, staged a coup d’état and overthrew the then-president Joao Goulart, taking control of the country. Although at first there was rapid economic growth through their regime, this soon degenerated into a terrible rift of inequality and national debt. Through the dictatorship, thousands of Brazilians were deported, imprisoned, tortured or murdered through relation to the guerrilla warfare up until 1973.

Eventually the regime collapsed in and through an indirect election, Diretas Ja Leader Tencredo Neves was elected president but before being sworn into office he died and was replaced by Jose Sarney. In 1989, Fernando Collor de Mello was the first elected president by popular vote and successfully dropped the 25% inflation rate severely in only the first few months of his presidency. His party privatized many government companies responsible for telecommunications, aviation, mining and the processing of ore into metal. The aim was to boost free trade and privatized industry and the programs succeeded amazingly.

In 1994, Fernando Henrique Cardoso was voted into power and continued these programs to great success and due to his much-loved policies he was voted into power for a second term in 1998, guiding Brazil through terrible financial crisis almost completely unscathed.

21st Century History

In 2000, Cardoso ordered the declassification of military files containing information about the prior ruling military regimes that had kidnapped and assassinated political opponents and revolutionaries. Following this in 2002, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of the Partido dos Trabalhadores was elected into power. Upon coming into office, Lula upheld Cardoso’s policies, additionally raising the minimum wage from R$200 to R$350 and starting the Fome Zero (Zero Hunger) program, designed to give each Brazilian three meals a day.

However, despite these changes, his cabinet underwent criticism and serious accusations of corruption and misuse of authority. Through this scrutiny he lost many members of his cabinet but was able to pull through and become re-elected in 2006. Following this in 2010, due to being forbidden to run a third term by the Brazilian Constitution, Dilma Rousseff won and assumed office in 2011.

Wording

Phonetic

English

Ola

Oll-ah

Hello/Hi

Adeus

Ah-day-oos

Good Bye!

Voce fala Ingles / Portugues

Voh-say fah-lah In-gulls / Poor-chew-ges

Do you speak English / Portuguese?

Meu nome e…

May-oo nom-ay eh

My name is…

Voce pode me ajudar?

Voh-say poh-day may aj-you-dah

Can you help me?

Estou a procura de…

Ess-toh ah proh-ker-ah day

I’m looking for…

Sim / Nao

Seem / Now

Yes / No

Obrigado

Oh-brig-ah-doh

Mr / Mrs / Miss

Hoje / Agora

Hoh-jey / Ah-gore-ah

Today / Now

Amanha / Ontem

Ah-man-ah / On-tem

Tomorrow / Yesterday

Este / Que / Aqui / La

Ess-tey / Kay / Ah-key / Lah

This / That / Here / There

Phrases

Above are a few common Portuguese phrases to help you get around.

Languages

Although the official language of Brazil is Portuguese, spoken by over 99% of the population, many other languages of European and Asian decent are spoken, as well as indigenous languages, in the country. Additionally, Brazil speaks a variant of Portuguese which has been influenced by African and Amerindian languages, and the difference between the original language and the Brazilian counterpart has been compared to the difference between British and American English.

Throughout the nation over 180 Amerindian languages are spoken including Nheengatu, Baniwa and Tucano. German and Talian, a Venetian dialect of Italian, is spoken in many communities throughout the country and at least one second language is mandatory in schools during the course of both Primary and Secondary years, typically these include English, Spanish and Esperanto.

Religion

Brazil is predominantly Roman Catholic with about 64% (dropping from 73% in 2000) of all residents claiming to be followers of Roman Catholicism, following this closely is Protestantism at around 22% (rising from 15% in 2000), typically being Pentecostal, Captist, Lutheran, Evangelical and Seventh-day Adventists as well as the reformed churches.

Additionally, Spiritism is practiced by some, making up for 2% of the population, other religions claim around 4% of the population and are mainly Buddhists, Jews, Muslims and Afro-Brazilian religious practitioners. Additionally around 8% (up from 7% in 2000) of the population is said to be non-religious.

Museums, Galleries & Architecture

Tribal settlements are little-documented and poorly represented in Brazil and thus the oldest types of architecture are based purely in the colonial period. The most common type was a style influenced by the Portuguese Manueline style which is primarily forged from Gothic, Flemish, Italian, Mudejar and Spanish Plateresque elements, although, this style had to be heavily adapted to fit the demands of the humid Brazilian climate.

Modern architecture in the Brazilian region is best seen in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo in the Copanacabana Promenade and in Ibirapuera Park, respectively, by artist Roberto Burle Marx in his unique landscape architectural style.

Brazil also has one of the most extensive museums for any non-western country such as the Museu Nacional de Belas Artes in Rio de Janeiro, the Historical and Geographic Museum of Campina Grande in Paraiba and the Butantan Institute in Sao Paulo. These often have been established in the last century but a few date back almost two-hundred years entirely, such as the National Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro, which was set up by the Portuguese King Dom Joao VI, and the Museu Imperial de Petropolis, based in the once-palace of Brazilian Emperor Dom Pedro II, both set up in the early to mid-19th Century.

Clothing, Dress Style & Etiquette

Typical clothing in the country has been heavily inspired by a wide variety of races and ethnicities, creating a powerfully colourful image but varying greatly from region to region. Today, western clothes are widespread and are worn more often than traditional wear, however, traditional wear still isn’t reduced to mere legend yet.

The traditional wear from the colonial era is broken down into three types: Gaucho, Vaquiero and Indigenous.

The Gaucho, or Cowboy, traditionally wear Bombachas (baggy trousers) and the Poncho (a large square of material worn over the shoulders), as well as a pair of thick boots and a wide straw hat. The Vacquiero, or Cowherd, normally wear a coat, hat and leather chaps, reminiscent of the colonial era. Finally, Indigenous wear varies the smallest in actual clothing and the most in accessories, typically, a traditional tunic is common and varies from tribe to tribe, however, in addition to this, face paint, body paint, feathers and beads are common accessories. Many women additionally wear traditional African clothing, imported at the same time the Portuguese imported African slaves during the colonial era, which typically consists of a long skirt, a head scarf and a brightly coloured shawl, as well as bracelets and beaded necklaces, also coloured just as brightly.

Literature, Poetry, Music & Dance

Brazilian literature only dates back as far as the 16th Century and this is typically made up of the reports by the first Portuguese explorers in the region, including Pero Vaz de Caminha who compiled some of the first documents on Brazil’s plant life, inhabitants and ecosystem, in the Carta de Pero Vaz de Caminha. Other prominent testimonials from the time include those by Hans Staden and Jean de Lery.

In the 19th Century, Romanticism hit in full swing and Brazil began seeing works by the likes of poets such as Goncalves de Magalhaes and Casimiro de Abreu. Additionally, novels by the likes of Jose de Alencar, Joaquim Manuel de Macedo and Manuel Antonio de Almeida began being more widespread, many of these works included tales about the native Indians of South America, such as those seen in Alencar’s The Guarani and Dias’ I-Juce-Pirama.

Following this in the 20th Century, the country saw the rise of the Pre-Modernism style and authors such as Augusto dos Anjos, Lima Baretto and Euclides da Cunha, they primarily focused on the matters of the state such as the violent authoritarian military regime ruling the country at the time, as well as the large rift between the rich and the poor tipping the scales in a horrible balance.

However, contemporary Brazilian literature focuses more on the life of the citizens of the nation, as well as the political issues, violence and media control the nation suffers from. Writers of this variety of literature include Moacyr Scliar, Joao Ubaldo Ribeiro and Lygia Fagundes Telles.

Brazilian music is incredibly varied, taking influences from both indigenous and international cultures, especially European and African, these may include styles such as Samba, Bossa Nova, Musica Popular Brazileira, Rap, Sertanejo, Pagode, Tropicalia, Maracatu, Forro, Brega, Axe, Frevo and Chorro, among others.

Perhaps one of Brazil’s most famous styles of music and dance is Capoeira, which uses large, sloping movements and gymnastics to dazzle the audience. Interestingly, Capoeira is seen as something competitive and is frequently considered a form of martial art, or at the very least, the point where the line between dance and combat blurs.

Calendar & Events

On January 1st, Brazil Celebrates New Years’ day and the public is given a holiday. In late March to early April, Good Friday is celebrated and the Christian Passion and the Death of Jesus Christ is remembered. In remembrance of the death of revolutionary Tiradentes, April 21st is another public holiday. Then on May 1st, Labour Day, celebrates the achievements of workers and the labour movement.

During June, Corpus Christi is celebrated as a national Catholic holiday. September 7th is the country’s Independence Day, another public holiday. Then on October 12th, the country commemorates the Virgin Mary on the day the Holly Saint of Aparecida, as well as Children’s Day on the same day.

In November on the 2nd, the Day of the Dead is taken to commemorate the departed in the form of another public holiday, then on the 15th, Republic Day is celebrated as the day the Empire of Brazil came to an end and the Brazilian Republic was formed. Finally on December 25th, Christmas is celebrated in the same way that it is in the western world.

For a more intense raving session the Madame Sata Nightclub in Sao Paulo is the place for you, the place is a house converted into a nightclub and world renowned for its classic music nights featuring tunes from the 80s and 90s as well as a wide range of contemporary club songs.

Aeroclube in Salvador de Bahia, on the other hand, caters almost exclusively to the younger crowd and plays mainly alternate and rock music, especially on Monday nights when their event ‘Rock in Rio’ takes place, causing the floor to erupt into mosh pits and power dancing.

Meanwhile in Manaus, the Porao do Alemao features more live rock and bands than anything. The club has been designed for more of a casual feel, but when the beat drops and the rock band starts playing, you know that a storm’s about to kick up on the dance floor!

Perhaps you’d prefer more of a relaxed venue but you still would like a nice beat to bop to, well now you can with Jardin’s Bar. The bar serves a variety of cool refreshing drinks and the casual dress code means that there’s no need to worry about dressing up for a relaxed evening out.

Cocktails galore in a partyground fit for a king, the Mucuripe Club in Fortaleza has been designed to incorporate enough space for bands to perform and the club features three rooms that work almost as if they were three different clubs, playing completely varied music in each room.

If you’re in the vicinity of Foz do Iguacu, the Tass is a must-see. The club has been described as one of the safest in the city and is known for the locals taking part heavily in the dancing. So if you’re looking for more socialising with a blend of dancing, then this club is the one for you!

Some people just like to kick back, relax and feel the ocean breeze as they gaze out into the sea, and, luckily there’s a bar just for you, the Restaurante Esquina Bar in Ilha Grande. The bar is renowned for its cool drinks by the beachside, offering a picturesque end to your day.

In Porto Alegre, the nightlife is incredible varied but the one that is most prominent is Manara. The club is known for playing Forro music on Sunday nights but varies its musical style and tastes greatly throughout the week in order to cater to any crowd.

With a huge bar and a chilled out lounge, EON is the place to be in Curitiba. The club features a more house techno musical taste with some of the top DJ’s in Brazil mixing there. Additionally the club incorporates a VIP section and a huge floor, allowing you to jump to the music or to chill out by the side.

Money

The Brazilian currency is the Brazilian Real and it uses the international currency code BRL, the Real can be divided down into 100 Centavos. BRL 1 is equal to $0.41 or £0.25.

Coins come in 1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 Centavo variants as well as a 1 Real Coin.

Brazil has the seventh largest economy in the world and makes the majority of its money through a mix of Agricultural Production (9.2% Annual Growth) and Industrial Production (8.8% Annual Growth).

Agriculturally, Brazil is one of the biggest producers in the world of bovine exports, specifically cattle, which it exports over $1 Billion a year and has a herd of around 200 million cattle. Additionally the country produces over 110 Million tonnes of grain a year and over 50 Million tonnes of soybeans a year. Finally, it also produces short-fibre timber cellulose, packaging and both refined sugar and sugarcane, the latter of which it makes up 25% of the world’s exports, as well as for over 80% of the world’s orange juice.

The other major source of income is Industrial production, which accounts for around a third of Brazil’s gross domestic product (GDP). Produced goods within the country include steel, computers, automobiles, aircraft, petrochemicals and consumer durables. Through the country’s mining processes a plethora of minerals are available for process including nickel, chromite, bauxite, beryllium, lead, zinc, tin, uranium, copper, tungsten and even gold, this dramatically reduces the country’s dependence on foreign nations for materials for production.

Banking

Throughout Brazil, banks are numerous and with them there are a high number of ATMs, especially in shopping halls, which makes money withdrawal safe, quick and easy. Additionally, a high number of international banks can be found throughout the cities and towns of the region, making access to your money all that much more familiar. Bank accounts come in three variants: Current Accounts, Savings Accounts and Salary Payment Accounts.

Current Accounts are designed to work similarly to the way they do in the west, with a low interest but an unlimited amount of withdrawals allowed. This is to allow users quick and easy access to their money without having to worry about any sort of negative repercussions for withdrawing.

Savings Accounts are used for a higher rate of interest but typically will only allow for a certain amount of money to be withdrawn from the account. Additionally, regular deposits may have to be made into the account and usually these have to pass a certain threshold each month as well.

Salary Payment Accounts do just what they say on the tin, they’re used for paying salaries, mainly by low income employees. Additionally, Salary Payment Accounts are used frequently to transfer money into different bank’s accounts and have been designed to keep competition going between banks.

Taxes

Both all employees and self-employed individuals are liable for a Social Security tax, this is used to provide money through benefits to those who are injured or fall ill, as well as providing money to the family during pregnancy or death to help support them. All self-employed individuals pay 20% Social Security tax but employees are divided by salary and this varies from year to year:

Up to BRL 1000 – 8%

Between BRL 1000 & 2000 – 9%

Above BRL 2000 – 11%

When a threshold of BRL 22,500 per year is crossed then Personal Income tax is incurred. All those who have a permanent visa or are Brazilian citizens are liable for Personal Income tax, those who have a temporary visa are only liable if they have a labour contract or have been in the country for over 184 days. This tax is applied to all forms of income including, wages, commissions, bonds, prizes, student fees, housing expenditures and any other form of remuneration.

The amount due is based on income amount:

Between BRL 22,500 & 32000 – 7.5%

Between BRL 32,000 & 43000 – 15%

Between BRL 43,000 & 53,500 – 22.5%

Above BRL 53,500 – 27.5%

Non-Residents are always taxed at a fixed rate of 25% for any type of work carried out in the country.

Service taxes are also payed by those who are self-employed, this varies from region to region but typically the rates are between 2 and 5%.

All motor vehicles are liable for tax and should be paid upon receiving a letter from the local Department of Transport office (DETRAN) but varies based upon the type of car and if it has been imported or not.

Other taxes include Inheritance tax which is paid on any transferral of items or money upon death, Urban Building and Land tax which is paid monthly by any owner of a property, and the Transfer tax on goods which taxes the transfer of real estate. Each of these taxes varies based on the item values, sizes and amounts involved.

With inspiration and influence from European, African and native American Indian cultures, Brazilian cuisine is known for its wide variety making it some of the most interesting and diverse food in the world. The region’s dishes can be split best between four regions, Southeast, Southwest, Northeast and Northwest.
Southeastern dishes primarily feature heavy use of Pinhao (Brazilian Pine Nuts) due to their wide abundance throughout the region, these are typically used in conjunction with pork, fish, beef, bean and rice dishes. Common dishes include the Feijoada (a meat stew dish with black beans), Picadinho (diced meat), Virado a Paulista (a pork and rice dish), Tutu de Feijao (a pork and bean dish), Frango com Quiabo (made with chicken and okra) and Moqueca Capixaba (fish and tomato stew).

Southwestern dishes, however, uses more pasta and livestock products in its food due to the heavy German immigration and traditions of livestock production in the region, dishes typically include Churrasco (various barbequed meats). Additionally the Chimmarao (a type of tea brewed with yerba, a mix of various herbs and leaves), is very popular throughout the country.

Northeastern dishes are influenced more strongly by African culture than anything else and may include the Vatapa (a dish made from coconut milk, shrimp, ground peanuts, bread and palm oil), Bobo de Camarao (shrimp and cassava, a type of shrub), Acaraje (palm oil deep fried black-eyed peas), Baiao de Dois (a dish made from coalho cheese, dried meat, rice, butter and beans) and various types of Tapioca pancakes and flatbreads.

Northwestern Brazil’s dishes take more from indigenous recipes, including the region’s most famous recipe, the Pato no Tucupi, which is made by preparing a yellow broth made from Cassava, fermentating the vegetable in the process and cooking it for several days, then adding slices of duck into the mix and allowing it to boil before preparing and serving with white rice and manioc flour.

VISA Requirements

All members of the European Union may enter Brazil for up to 90 days without a VISA for any purpose.

Citizens of the following countries may enter Brazil without a VISA for up to 90 days provided they have an ID card:

Argentina

Bolivia

Chile

Columbia

Ecuador

Paraguay

Peru

Uruguay

Additionally, citizens of Venezuela may enter the country for up to 60 days provided they have an ID card.

Citizens of the following countries may enter the country without a VISA for any purpose for up to 90 days:

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Costa Rica

El Salvador

Guyana

Honduras

Hong Kong

Iceland

Israel

Macau

Mexico

Monaco

Morocco

New Zealand

Norway

Philippines

Russia

San Marino

Serbia

South Africa

South Korea

Sovereign Military order of Malta

Suriname

Switzerland

Thailand

Trinidad and Tobago

Tunisia

Turkey

Ukraine

Vatican City

Citizens of Singapore may enter the country for up to 30 days.

Citizens of the following countries may enter Brazil without a VISA for up to 90 days for Tourism purposes alone:

Andorra

Bahamas

Barbados

Guatemala

Liechtenstein

Malaysia

Namibia

Panama

Visas are issued in several variations and non-business owner visas include the Tourist visa, the Temporary residence/work visa and the Permanent visa.
Tourist visas are valid for a maximum of 90 days but can be extended up to a maximum of 180 days, holders of this type are prohibited from engaging in any business, work or academic activities whilst in Brazil.

Temporary residence visas/work visas are issued to those who have a secure job in a Brazilian company or government department, including Brazilian branches of international companies. All holders are expected to have relevant and suitable qualifications and/or experience.

Permanent visas are split in to seven types dependant on the reason for being issued, typically the most common being marriage and family unification reasons but also business executive, entrepreneurial, specialists, investors and retiring reasons.

Health Care

Public Health care is provided for free to absolutely all Brazilian nationals and foreigners alike through the Unified Health System, moderated and maintained by the federal government with the operation of facilities run by the councils of the various states. The country has a fairly decent life expectancy at around 74.6 years. Additionally, private health care is available to those who can afford it.

The biggest problems the country faces are the rates of Childhood and Motherhood mortality, at between 2.51% and 3.77% for the former and at around 73.1 deaths per 100,000 births for the latter. Additionally, deaths caused by non-transmissible illnesses and external causes are somewhat high as well with 151.7 deaths per 100,000 by heart and circulatory diseases, 72.7 deaths per 100,000 caused by cancer and between 71.7 and 82.3 deaths per 100,000 caused by external causes. Additionally, Brazil accounts for 40% of both North and South America’s malaria cases with 99% of all cases found in the Legal Amazon Region, home to less than 12% of the entirety of the population.

Transportation

Brazil’s transportation infrastructure is gigantic with over 1.75 million kilometres of roads (albeit only around 6% of them being paved). Luckily, the low car ownership rate of only 140 cars per 1000 people means that roads are practically always traffic-free.

Recently, Brazil has made huge steps to improve its rail network and today incorporates almost 30,000 kilometres of railway lines including metro lines in Brasilia, Fortaleza, Belo Horizonte, Porto Alegre, Teresina, Salvador, Recife, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. The country also has rail links between itself and Argentina, Bolivia and Uruguay, as well as over a hundred tramway systems in Belem, Campinas, Campos de Jordao, Santos, Rio de Janeiro and Itatinga. Finally, there’s also a high-speed rail system being developed to connect the country’s biggest cities, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.

Airport-wise, the country mainly uses Galeao International Airport, Guarulhos International Airport or Belo Horizonte for its international flights but international airports do actually exist in most of the large cities. The airports together include over 730 paved runways and over 3400 unpaved.

Greenland Greenlandic Embassy in Brasilia, Brazil
Royal Danish Embassy in Brazil
SES - Avenida das Nacoes
Qd. 807, lt. 26
70200-900 Brasília D.F.
City: Brasilia
Phone: +55 61 3878 4500
Fax: +55 61 3878 4509
Website: http://www.ambbrasilia.um.dk
Email: bsbamb@um.dk
Details: The Faroe Islands and Greenland are part of the Kingdom of Denmark. As a main principle, the Danish Constitution stipulates that the foreign and security interests for all parts of the Kingdom of Denmark are the responsibility of the Danish government.

Greenland Greenlandic Consulate in Sao Paulo, Brazil
Royal Danish Consulate General in Sao Paulo, Brazil
Rua Oscar Freire 379, cj. 31
Cerqueira Cesar
01426-900 Sao Paulo - SP
City: Sao Paulo
Phone: +55 (11) 2127 0750
Fax: +55 (11) 3068 9867
Website: http://www.ambbrasilia.um.dk
Email: saogkl@um.dk
Details: The Faroe Islands and Greenland are part of the Kingdom of Denmark. As a main principle, the Danish Constitution stipulates that the foreign and security interests for all parts of the Kingdom of Denmark are the responsibility of the Danish government.

Greenland Greenlandic Consulate in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Royal Danish Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Av. N. Sra. de Copacabana, 749 - sala 904
Copacabana
CEP 22050-000 Rio de Janeiro RJ
City: Rio de Janeiro
Phone: +55 (21) 2255 7600
Fax: +55 (21) 2255 7766
Email: riodejaneirodk@terra.com.br
Details: The Faroe Islands and Greenland are part of the Kingdom of Denmark. As a main principle, the Danish Constitution stipulates that the foreign and security interests for all parts of the Kingdom of Denmark are the responsibility of the Danish government.

The majority of the Brazilian phone market is split between four main operators, these include GVT, America Movil, Oi and Telefonica. These operators use both Domestic and International systems including a microwave radio relay system and a domestic satellite system with 64 earth stations as well as a variety of submarine cables to connect to the rest of the world. There are over 1.1 Million public terminals overall with over 46.6 million terminals overall.

Mobile phone networks are also dominated by four main companies, Oi, TIM Brasil, Claro and Vivo Participacoes, the latter being partially owned by the Telefonica company. These are around 162 devices used with these services with around 82% of them being prepaid.
Brazil’s country code is 55.

Internet

Brazil has the fourth largest amount of internet hosts in the world with over 23.5 Million in total and over 25% of the population online, it’s expected that by 2016 over 57% of the country will have internet access. Today, packages come in variants of:

500kb

4mb

8mb

12mb

The top domain used by Brazil is .br.

Communications

Not treated as telecommunication by the Brazilian constitution to avoid creating problems with control of the participation of international businesses, the country has the 2nd biggest media conglomerate in the world, Rede Globo.

Weather & Climate

Due to the variety of high mountainous regions to low flatlands and even seaside locations, the climate of Brazil is incredibly varied in turn and has all of the subtropical, equatorial, temperate, tropical, highland tropical and semiarid environment types as a result. However, throughout most of Brazil it is always prone to rain and this differs only a little from region to region.

The Southeastern region of the country typically sees temperatures on average at around 29 degrees Centigrade (84.2 degrees Fahrenheit) between the months of January and March, but this can go as high as 34 degrees Centigrade (93.2 degrees Fahrenheit) in Santos and as low as 24 degrees Centigrade (75.2 degrees Fahrenheit) in Campos do Jordao. Aversely, the region can drop as low as 11 degrees Centigrade (51.8 degrees Fahrenheit) between the months of June and August but this can be lower still in Campos de Jordao at 4 degrees Centigrade (39.2 degrees Fahrenheit) or as high as 18 degrees Centigrade (64.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in Rio de Janeiro.

Rainfall in this region tends to be highest between the months of December and February and typically averages around 200-320mm of precipitation. Contrarily, the lowest amount of rainfall is in the months of June to September at around 10-110mm. Belo Horizonte tends to have both the highest and lowest precipitations during these months, respectively.

The Southwestern region of Brazil tends to be more consistent over the region but fluctuates more over the course of the year. This is visible in the yearly high average during December to February of 26.5 degrees Centigrade (79.7 degrees Fahrenheit) but can be higher in Porto Alegre at 30 degrees Centigrade (86 degrees Fahrenheit) and lower in Sao Joaquim at 23 degrees Centigrade (73.4 degrees Fahrenheit). Meanwhile the yearly low is during June and August at around 9 degrees Centigrade (48.2 degrees Fahrenheit) with Sao Joaquim even lower at 6 degrees Centigrade (42.8 degrees Fahrenheit) and Florianopolis higher at 12 degrees Centigrade (53.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

In this region, precipitation is fairly consistent with the highest amount falling in the months of January to March at around 100-200mm and the lowest falling in the months of June to August at between 70-180mm. Out of these the area with the highest rainfall is Caxias do Sul and the lowest is Florianopolis
The Northeastern region tends to be less consistent throughout the region, but more consistent over the course of the year, what’s interesting is that both the high and low points of the year can be around the same time for the cities. Teresina, for example, can have both its highest temperatures and its lowest temperatures between the months of August and October with temperatures of 36 degrees Centigrade (96.8 degrees Fahrenheit) and 21 degrees Centigrade (69.8 degrees Fahrenheit) respectively. Teresina actually has the highest and lowest temperatures of the entire region and can have them during the same months; most other cities follow this pattern but to a lesser effect and usually the months are different.

Rainfall-wise, this region has an incredibly dynamic series of months and the amount of rainfall dramatically changes from city to city with the highest months in Fortaleza and Recife in April to June at around 350-400mm whilst the driest months in Teresina and Salvador are in August to September and can range between 20-110mm.

The Northwestern region, is the most consistent all-around region with its hottest temperatures between the months of September and November at around 32.5 degrees Centigrade (90.5 degrees Fahrenheit) with a couple of degrees higher in Boa Vista at 34 degrees Centigrade (93.2 degrees Fahrenheit) and a couple of degrees lower in Porto Velho at 31 degrees Centigrade (87.8 degrees Fahrenheit). Meanwhile the lowest temperatures in the region tend to fall around the months of June to August at around 20.5 degrees Centigrade (68.9 degrees Fahrenheit) but this can be as low as 18 degrees Centigrade (64.4 degrees Fahrenheit) in Porto Velho and higher in both Manaus and Macapa at 23 degrees Centigrade (73.4 degrees Centigrade).

The Northwestern region also has one of the highest amounts of rainfall at around 280-440mm between the months of February and April but also one of the lowest amounts in August to October at only around 20-110mm. Again, however, this region’s weather fluctuates rapidly, despite the high consistency of temperatures.

Holidays

The Miramar Hotel by Windsor in Rio de Janeiro is one of the most luxurious hotels in the country, containing over two-hundred rooms and featuring the exclusive Sa Restaurant in the hotel’s lobby, the hotel serves a variety of Brazilian cuisine and offers several health and fitness services including a swimming pool, steam rooms and a gym.

Just a short walk from the stunning Copacabana beach, the Windsor Atlantica in Rio de Janeiro has been styled for a true sense of luxury and chic high class living. The hotel features a distinctive furnishing arrangement in each of its 545 rooms with Persian rugs, Italian pure marble and crystal sculptures and a range of other décor from all across Europe.

Meanwhile in Sao Paulo, surf’s up! With the Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo you can get yourself a cosy little room in style right next to the beach and keep a strong sense of luxury while you enjoy the sunny weather and warm afternoons by the seaside.

Salvador sees some of the most high-class treatment around with the guests of the famed Hotel Aramyami being catered to by a professional team each visit, providing a fully personalized service to meet the needs of their clients. The hotel itself features a contemporary flair over old influences for a unique blend of architecture and stylizations.

The Pousada dos Artistas is located in beautiful seaside Florianopolis and welcomes its guests in with a warm, inviting atmosphere but also it strives to retain a dedication to a different great painter for each apartment. These include Klimt, O’Keefe, Kandiski, Cezanne, Gaudin, Gauguin, Renoir, Derain, Dufy, Matisse, Van Gogh, Gockel, Picasso, Barker, Klee and Monet.

Located right next to the crystal clear Iguassu Falls, the Hotel das Cataratas has been designed with Victorian influences and incorporated a range of beautiful suites, spa treatments, restaurants, bars, a gym, tennis courts and several swimming pools all within this isolated boutique hotel arrangement.

The Santorini Pousada in Rio de Janeiro features two types of suites, each with a queen-sized bed, air conditioning, Wi-Fi, Satellite TV and a Minibar as well as on-suite bathrooms. Best of all, each room has been designed to overlook the sea for beautiful views of the oceanic vistas each time you awaken.

Featuring over 204 apartments with a minibar, a free Wifi broadband connection, an LCD TV and an electronic safe, the Quality Hotel in Manaus has been developed for practical usage for the tech-savvy traveller and will be sure to not let you down!

The Four Points Hotel in Curitiba has been designed with 154 apartments but also includes 11 suites for those looking to live a little bit more luxuriously. Within the hotel there’s also a Business centre, a Convention centre, a Coffee shop, a Fitness Centre, a Massage room, a Steam room, a Sauna and Spa and, best of all, each room comes with a complete luxury package in the form of a broadband internet connection, a minibar, a cable flat-screen LCD TV and an on-suite bathroom.

Each room for the Ritta Hoppner Hotel in Bairro Planalto has been designed with a distinctive floral arrangement and the hotel venue features many beautifully tended-to courtyards with a distinctive countryside atmosphere for a true escape away from the urban metropolis and into a beautiful countryside village sensation.

Children are subject to the same visa requirements that adults are subject to. Additionally, both parents must sign the visa application form, the child’s original birth certificate or a copy must be presented and a notarized travel authorization letter must be provided by the parents, even if they are travelling with the child.

Additionally, if the child is between three months and six years old, parents must provide a certificate of vaccination against polio. Brazil has several areas with dengue fever, malaria and yellow fever endemics, so it would be wise to discuss your child’s immunization plan with your paediatrician.

Bringing pets to Brazil is fairly straightforward and all Cats and Dogs can be brought into Brazil for any non-commercial purpose, but most other types of animals will require an import permit from the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply. Additionally, all imported animals will undergo a brief physical inspection and quarantined for an unspecified amount of time.

Cats and Dogs also require official health certificates from the local vet and other animals will require an International Health Certificate and an Animal Health Certificate signed by a vet.

Divided into three stages with multiple grades per stage, how mandatory education in Brazil is changes at each stage, with Pre-school Education being available but not mandatory, Primary school being mandatory and Higher education not being mandatory.

Pre-school Education is completely optional but has been proven to significantly help develop children below the age of 6 in all areas including cognitive, motor and social skills. These institutions include Day Nurseries for children under 2, Kindergartens for children between 2 and 3, and Preschools for children between 4 and 5. Upon turning 6 a child moves on into Primary school.

Primary Education is split into nine years and supports mainly children between the ages of 6 and 18, but will take both students under 6 if the child turns 6 during the semester, and adults over 18 if they haven’t finished their education, although they are separated from the children. These schools teach the Portuguese Language, History, Geography, Science, Mathematics and Arts as well as Physical Education for those in the 2nd to 5th years and one to two foreign languages, usual Spanish and/or English, for those in the 6th to 9th years. Each school year lasts at least 200 days and must provide at least 800 hours of activities per year.

After graduating from Primary education, students may choose to pursue Higher Education and they will, in turn, have to take an entrance examination for their specific course of study. After finishing the exam, the top 30 to 40 candidates for each university per course typically move on to study at the course, however, this number can be as high as 200 in some rare cases. Higher Education can be divided into Undergraduate and Graduate work like in most countries, and features an undergraduate Bachelor Degree lasting for around 4 years, as well as teaching courses which last an additional 4 years and medical degrees lasting for around 6 years and often include a two-to-five year residential placement in a hospital or medical facility. Additionally, five year degrees leading into professional diplomas are awarded in state-controlled careers in architecture, veterinary medicine, law, psychology and engineering.

Following graduation from a Bachelor’s Degree or a Professional Diploma, a student may enter graduate school and undertake a Master’s Degree lasting two years, additionally requiring the submission of a master’s thesis. Following this a Doctoral Degree is available for many lines of study, requiring four years of full-time studies and requiring the submission of a doctoral dissertation, the passing of a doctoral qualifying exam and extensive coursework. Throughout Brazil there are over 2600 universities and higher education institutions.

To work in Brazil you must be a native speaker of English, be western-trained in the USA, UK, Canada, Scotland, Ireland, Australia or New Zealand, and have 2 years of prior experience with a Bachelor’s degree in line with the subject you intent to teach, as well as a teaching qualification.

Additionally, candidates with international experience are typically preferred, as are those with a CEFL, TEFL or Delta certificate. However it’s important to stress that these certificates are not usually deemed viable teaching certificates and will only work as a bonus, not as the actual teaching qualification.

A one bedroom apartment in the city centre in Brazil will typically cost around BRL 1210 ($510 or £300) a month, whilst outside the city centre you’ll see prices more around the BRL 810 ($340 or £200) mark. A three bedroom apartment, however, will cost you around BRL 2690 ($1130 or £680) in the city centre, and around BRL 1800 ($760 or £450) outside of the city centre.

Meanwhile a meal at a restaurant will set you back between BRL 15 and 80 ($6.30-$33.60 or £3.80-£20.10) depending where you eat, a litre of water will cost around BRL 6.10 ($2.60 or £1.50), a litre of milk costs around BRL 2.40 ($1.00 or £0.60), 500g of bread costs around BRL 4.00 ($1.70 or £1.00) and twelve eggs also costs about BRL 4.00 ($1.70 or £1.00).

Finally, luxuries go for around BRL 6.70 ($2.80 or £1.70) for a litre of domestic beer, BRL 5.50 ($2.30 or £1.40) for a pack of cigarettes and a bottle of mid-range wine for around BRL 20 ($8.40 or £5.00). The average monthly disposable salary after tax is at around BRL 1780 ($750 or £450).

The Academicos da Rocinha is one of Rio de Janeiro’s top Samba schools and is widely reputed for their participation in events such as the world-famous Rio Carnaval, producing dancers of a hugely powerful and talented nature and tutoring those of all ages.

Aeroclube de Campinas is one of the country’s best known flying clubs, taking to the skies and soaring into the blue daily, the club has produced over 1300 pilots since its founding in 1939.

Perhaps sailing is your forte? The Sao Paulo Yacht Club is widely renowned for its friendliness and good-natured attitude whilst keeping a professional nature in their practices since their founding in 1917.

Do you like a good ol’ walk? Well the Terra Brazil trekking tours include a range of tours all across the region as well as the areas of the Amazon basin, the Islands South of Salvador, Rio de Janeiro and even trips into the tropical paradise of Fortaleza.

The Guaruja Golf Clube runs a range of tournaments and events all throughout the year across one of their many golf courses across the region. Each course features lush greenery, neatly kept grounds and professional-grade equipment.

The Confederacao Brasileira de Basketball moderates all associated Basketball clubs, groups and organizations in the region whilst administrating events and organizing the top in the nation for international professional-level play during the course of the year.

Or perhaps you like a bit of the footy? The Sports Club Corinhians Paulista is one of the country’s very best teams and hosts a range of matches throughout the region, always adhering to professionalism and good sportsmanship during all events.

Brazil’s crime rate is known to be fairly high with a homicide rate of around 25 homicides per 100,000 residents. However, the country faces a bigger problem with this high homicide rate tracing back to the drug trade bringing in organized crime and gangs, although this rate has fallen notable by over ten points since 2000.

In addition to the homicide rate, however, Carjacking and Express kidnappings are common, as are petty crimes such as pickpocketing and bag snatching, especially during market days and the Carnaval season. Worst of all is gang violence and recently gangs have been using children to perpetrate crimes, including murder, due to children having shorter prison sentences.

As far as drug trafficking goes, the most common drugs trafficked are marijuana, cocaine and crack, respectively, and out of 325 youth that were criminalized, around 48.5% of them were involved with drug trafficking in some way. Additionally, out of those caught, around 74% had used marijuana, 36% had snorted cocaine and over 21% had used crack. Most shockingly, out of the caught youth, 51% of the drug traffickers reported it was very easy to obtain a gun and over 58% of them reported it was very easy to obtain cocaine.